A quick post on this audiobook I listened to - The Day I Ate Whatever I Wanted by Elizabeth Berg. I can't say that I loved it, in fact I don't think it was my kind of thing. This collection of short stories wasn't exactly what I expected... Although I liked the title story (and its great title!) and could identify with the weight loss and health theme, I thought that it came back too often in other stories. The characters too were not people I could really understand - older than me for one thing, which doesn't usually bother me, but it did this time. They were all so disappointed with the way their lives turned out, so resigned to the way their lives turned out. I didn't quite understand why things had to be that way for them.The writing was good and emotive, but the stories just weren't for me. I've yet to read a short story collection that I really enjoy, by the way, maybe the whole genre isn't really for me? Something to think about...
Challenges: A-Z Challenge, Audiobook Challenge
6 comments:
Joanna ~ I found this collection to be pretty depressing, too. But Elizabeth Berg is my aunt and so I never really wrote about it. :-) I think she is a fabulous writer, but I often hesitate to read her books because they always seem to me to carry a sad undercurrent, which is weird because she's such a fun, sweet person in real life! When I was a kid I always wanted to be just like her when I grew up.
Lezlie
Hi Lezlie - I knew she was your aunt and in fact it was because of your blog that I was intrigued enough to read her. She certainly has a way with language, but I just couldn't relate to the characters... I can't imagine her being all cheerful either, funny how books make you think certain things about the authors, eh?
I hear you! If you want to give her another shot, the one I loved was Talk Before Sleep. It's *awesome*, but I sobbed most of the way through it.
Lezlie
I just checked it out on amazon and I'll order it, thanks for the recommendation, I'm certainly willing to try her again!
I can't wait to see what you think!
L.
Have you read Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri or Breakfast at Tiffany's: A Short Novel and Three Stories by Truman Capote? I can go either way on Short Stories but these were two I've enjoyed (I've read the 2nd one twice I liked it so much!)
I blog at http://gettingbydreamingbig.blogspot.com. Every Monday I have a Monday Bookworms post!!!
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